The Fairy Godmothers and Other Tales eBook

little water insects as well as a great big elephant.
I am sure you will allow there is nothing to boast
of in this, and so if the contemplation of great
things makes you incapable of attending to small ones,
do remember that ’tis nothing to boast about
or be proud of. And take very great care
you make no mistakes as to what is great and what
is insignificant. With which warning I close my
remarks on the moral lesson, and proceed to that anagogical
or spiritual meaning, which will I hope be my justification
for dwelling so long on the subject, and my best introduction
to a story of a serious though not of a melancholy
character. But first, my dear little readers,
let me call upon you in the words which you hear in
church:

“Lift up your hearts!”

and I would have you answer,

“We lift them up unto the Lord.”

For it is indeed of Him—­the Lord of all
Lords, that I now wish to speak to you. He made
the Sun and Stars and the great mountains of our earth;
but He made also the smallest insects that crowd the
air and water, and which are invisible to our imperfect
eyes.

He rules the nations by His word, and “binds
kings in chains, and nobles with links of iron,”
as the psalm expresses it; but also not a sparrow
falls to the ground without His knowledge and consent.
Angels and Archangels worship around His throne, but
His ears are equally open to the prayer of the youngest
child who lifts up its little heart to Him!

The universe is at His feet, but the smallest events
of our lives are under His especial superintendence
and care. Yes! nothing, however small and insignificant,
that is connected with the present or future welfare
of the smallest and most insignificant of his creatures,
is beneath the notice of God!

Ah! here is indeed a lesson for the fancied Giants
of the world!—­For, in this picture of Almighty
greatness combined with infinite condescension, we
see that real Perfection requires no Pride to elevate
it.

But I said this anagogical sense was hard to be attained
to and difficult of comprehension.

And is it not so? Is it not very difficult to
believe thoroughly that the great God whom we hear
about, really and truly cares how we behave and what
we do—­really and truly listens to our prayers—­really
and truly takes as much interest in us as our earthly
Fathers and Mothers do?

Ah, I am sure it must be very difficult, because so
few people do it, although we should all be both better
and happier if we did. We should say our prayers
so much more earnestly, try to keep out of sin and
naughtiness so much more heartily, and, above all,
always be contented with whatever happened; for who
could be anxious, and discontented about their condition
or circumstances, if they quite believed that
every thing that happened to them was watched over
and arranged for their good, by the wisest, kindest,
and most powerful of Beings? If you, my dear
children, who have been reading the fairy tales in
this book, were to be told that a most wise, most
kind, and most powerful Fairy had suddenly taken you
for life under her particular care, and that she would
never lose sight of you by night or by day, how delighted
you would be!